Jay Abraham is founder and CEO of The Abraham Group, Inc., and is recognized as one of the world’s most successful/impactful marketing strategists, business innovators, entrepreneurial advisors/mentors, and masters of revenue and performance enhancement and acceleration. He has spent the last 25-plus years solving problems and significantly increasing the bottom lines of over 10,000 clients in more than 400 industries worldwide. Abraham has identified the patterns that limit and restrict business growth and shows his clients how to create a powerful advantage over their competition by taking success concepts from different industries and adapting them for clients’ specific businesses. He is considered a leading expert on multiplying clients’ “Relational Capital,” and a thought leader on the concept of “Risk Reversal.” He has also been pivotal in defining the strategic business concepts of “Power Partnering” and “The Strategy of Preeminence, and he popularized the phrase “Unique Selling Proposition.”

Caroline Beasley was named CEO of Beasley Media Group on January 1, 2017, after previously serving as interim CEO. She has over 30 years of broadcast financial experience, and had been BBGI’s EVP/CFO, treasurer, and secretary since 1994. She has served as a director of Beasley since she joined the company in 1983. Over her tenure prior to 1994, she was employed in various positions, including business manager, assistant controller, and corporate controller. She currently serves as the joint board chair of the NAB Board of Directors and is a past chairman of the NAB Radio Board. In addition, Beasley is a member of the boards of BMI and the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Beasley was ranked number six on this year’s Radio Ink “40 Most Powerful People in Radio.” She was also selected as the 2017 Radio Ink Radio Executive of the Year and has consistently appeared on the “Most Influential Women in Radio” list. Other awards include the 2016 Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and the 2012 Frances Preston Trailblazer Award from the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group (MIW).

David Benjamin is president and CEO of Benjamin Media Investments, based in Carmel, CA. In May 2013, Benjamin sold Triad Broadcasting Company, founded in 1999, for which he also served as president and CEO; Triad operated 50 radio stations across 11 states. He has served as a board member of the NAB and the California Broadcasters Association, and is a former president of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and a former member of the board of directors of the RAB. Benjamin has served on a number of boards on the Central Coast, including, the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and Stevenson School.

Arthur Burns is managing director/media and communications corporate finance for Citizens Capital Markets. He has been involved with the media and communications industries for his entire career. After graduating from Fairfield University, he worked at Capital Cities/ABC Radio for two years before attending business school at New York University. Upon graduation, he started a career in finance covering the media and communications industries that has spanned multiple roles, including equity research and equity capital markets, leveraged finance, and corporate finance.

Eddie Esserman is managing director of Media Services Group, where he has been a director since 1998. He began his broadcast career in high school as an announcer with a keen interest in engineering. Esserman holds a BS degree from Georgia Tech; after graduation, he worked for the Pacific and Southern group of stations and managed sales departments for two Atlanta stations before becoming VP/GM for Shamrock Broadcasting’s WFOX/Atlanta. In the mid-1990s Esserman managed one of the country’s first large market duopolies in San Francisco. He then acquired and operated stations in Macon and Savannah. He now owns stations in small rated and unrated markets and is an owner of a telecom tower company with towers in the Southeast.

Erica Farber is president and CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau. She joined the organization in January 2012 as executive vice president. Before that she was the CEO of the radio consulting and Internet service provider the Farber Connection LLC. During her 15-year tenure at Radio & Records, Farber held various positions including COO, president, publisher, and CEO. She has held nearly every position in radio sales and management, including rising through the ranks at the Interep companies. During the early years of her career she held positions at KRTH-FM, KABC-TV, and KIIS-AM in Los Angeles. Her radio management career grew quickly when she was appointed GSM and then GM of WROR-FM in Boston in the same year. Her success then led to an appointment as VP/GM of WXLO-FM/New York.

Steven Goldstein is CEO of Amplifi Media, which works with top media companies and podcasters advising on digital content strategy, activation, and development for on-demand audio (podcasting). Goldstein has created and developed successful radio brands around the country and is acknowledged for skill in nurturing and advancing local and national talent. He is also a founding partner of Sonic Ai, which develops audio “skills” for the emerging category of smart speakers, including the Amazon Echo. After holding on-air positions at local radio stations, Goldstein shifted to management with the NBC Radio Network, where he played a leadership role in creating The Source Network, and he also held programming positions for the ABC Radio Network, Metromedia, and Capital Cities in New York and Detroit. He was a founding partner in Saga Communications, serving as EVP and group PD and company’s formation in 1986 until 2015, when he launched Amplifi Media.

Mark Gray is chief executive officer of Katz Media Group and co-chair of Forecast 2018. Katz is the leading national expert in audio and television advertising solutions. Gray has been a leader in the media industry for more than 25 years, building a first-class media sales organization that delivers results for its broadcast partners and the nation’s top brands. As CEO, Gray oversees both Katz’s radio and television companies. His primary focus is to lead Katz’s team of industry experts to deliver innovative ideas for advertisers and agencies, driving revenue for Katz’s partners, as well as developing Katz’s technology and digital offerings, including bringing Katz to the forefront of the programmatic buying arena. His tenure with Katz has included various management roles, including president of the Katz Radio division before being promoted to president of Katz Radio Group in 2006.

Daymond John is founder and CEO, FUBU; CEO, The Shark Group; co-star of ABC’s Shark Tank; and author, The Brand Within and The Power of Broke. FUBU is the iconic global lifestyle brand that went on to have more than $6 billion in sales. Resolved to expand his own brand, Daymond joined ABC’s iconic series Shark Tank as one of its original cast members. In 2015, he was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. He is the recipient of numerous awards such as the Brandweek Marketer of the Year and Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year.

David Kantor is president and CEO of Radio One Stations and Reach Media, overseeing parent company Urban One’s radio segment of 54 Radio One stations in 16 markets as well as Reach Media’s syndicated radio portfolio. Kantor began his career in local radio research and programming, eventually moving into sales. A longtime radio executive, Kantor has been a leader in developing existing companies as well as launching new brands. He held executive positions with Cox Cable and Satellite Music Network before ascending to the position of president of ABC Radio Networks in the 1990s. Kantor went on to serve as SVP/network operations of AMFM, Inc., where he relaunched American Top 40 with Casey Kasem and developed a premium radio network that was sold to Clear Channel (now iHeartRadio) in 2000. In 2003, Tom Joyner and Kantor founded Reach Media, providing syndicated radio programming, events, and digital content to the African-American community. The majority of Reach Media was acquired by Radio One in 2005.

Marla Kaplowitz is president and CEO of the 4As, having joined the organization in May 2017. She had been CEO of MEC North America since 2011, leading the company in its innovative approach to attracting, nurturing, and retaining the industry’s top talent. MEC NA was cited in Fortune’s “Great Places to Work” feature and was named in Advertising Age’s “Best Places to Work in Advertising and Marketing” in 2015. Kaplowitz has nearly 30 years of industry experience in marketing and communications, including 12 years at MediaVest, where she oversaw the Procter & Gamble Communications Planning assignment for North America. She serves on the boards of the Advertising Council, Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, Digital Advertising Alliance, and Trustworthy Accountability Group.

Vincent Létang is EVP of global market intelligence for Magna, overseeing the organization’s market research, forecasting, strategy, and advisory services. Magna has been the reference for monitoring and forecasting U.S. ad market trends for more than 30 years; its advertising forecasts are regularly used and quoted by Wall Street financial analysts. Létang joined Magna after six years as head of advertising research for IHS Screen Digest in London, where he launched Advertising Intelligence, an online service focusing on global television and digital advertising market trends. In 2010, Screen Digest was chosen by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB Europe) to become market research partner for the completion of an Adex report on online advertising trends across Europe. In 2006, Létang also managed the seminal Screen Digest study leading to a report published by the European Commission: “Interactive Content and Convergence: Implications for the Information Society.” Before joining Screen Digest, Létang was a senior consultant in the media practice in BIPE Consulting in Paris for six years.

CEO Bob Liodice joined the Association of National Advertisers as senior vice president in 1995. The organization includes more than 1,000 companies that collectively spend over $250 billion in marketing and advertising each year. Prior to the ANA, Liodice was vice president of global marketing and sales for Grupo Televisa, a major worldwide broadcaster. His experience also includes more than 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Advertising Council, Advertising Research Foundation, Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Advertising Educational Foundation, Digital Advertising Alliance, Trustworthy Accountability Group, and World Federation of Advertisers.

Brian McNeill is a founder and managing general partner of Alta Communications. He specializes in identifying and managing investments in the traditional sectors of the media industry, including radio and television broadcasting, cable television, outdoor advertising, and other advertising-based or cash flow-based businesses. McNeill currently serves or has served on the boards of some of the most significant companies in the radio and television industries, including Radio One, Telemundo Communications Group, ACME Communications, and Next Media Group. He joined Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. as a general partner in 1986, where he focused on the media and communications industries. Previously, he started and managed the Broadcasting Lending Division of the Bank of Boston. He received an MBA from Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics from College of the Holy Cross.

Mike McVay is EVP/content and programming for Cumulus Media and Westwood One, overseeing the programming of 450 radio stations and two radio networks. McVay is a 40-year programmer with consulting, management, ownership, sales, programming, and on-air experience, and has developed and launched several nationally syndicated programs. He has programmed around the world as a consultant with more than 300 stations to his credit. McVay has received numerous awards and acknowledgements; he is a recipient of the prestigious Rockwell Award, was ranked #4 among America’s Top Programmers by Radio Ink magazine, appears on the 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list from Radio Ink, and was named one of the Titans of Talk by NTS magazine every year 2012-2016.

Bruce Mittman is president and CEO of Mittcom, a top 20 advertising agency in the Boston market, and operating partner and founder of Community Broadcasters Mittman is a 40-year veteran of the marketing/advertising and broadcasting wars and has had extraordinary success with startups and turnarounds in both environments. Mittman sharpened his advertising teeth working with Boston’s top creative talent at Marvin and Leonard, followed by a long run at Arnold, Boston’s dominant retail agency at the time. As technology entered the picture, he headed up a 50-person database marketing group. Mittman then went on to build a successful New England sports network as owner of radio stations in Maine and Rhode Island. Community Broadcasters owns 46 radio signals in Watertown, St. Lawrence Valley, Olean and Elmira/Corning, NY; Florence, Sumter, and Orangeburg, SC; and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Elizabeth (Beth) Neuhoff is president and CEO of Neuhoff Communications. Earlier in her career she served in various positions at Interep, beginning with national media sales rep and concluding a 13-year run as EVP of the Midwest Region. She oversaw over $200 million in media sales per year across five offices and 85 employees. Her specialty was new business development, with an emphasis in nontraditional media and strategic brand events. Neuhoff now serves as president and CEO of Neuhoff Communications, a broadcast company serving small and mid-size communities. She served on the board of Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation in Chicago and recently rolled on to its honorary board. She received the William J. Casey Hope Award from BNPCF in 2002 for her work with pediatric cancer patients. She also serves on the boards of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust and the Broadcasters Foundation of America and was the board chairperson at the Palm Beach Infectious Disease Institute.

John Rosso is president of market development at Triton Digital, overseeing business development, sales, and marketing operations. In this role, he helps clients successfully execute their digital audio strategies through the provision of Triton’s innovative tools and services. Before joining Triton Digital, Rosso held a number of positions in the broadcasting industry, most recently as president of Citadel Media, one of the largest commercial radio networks, where he directed all activities and achieved significant operational and financial performance improvement. He has also held senior roles in sales, affiliate marketing, and technology at the ABC Radio division of the Walt Disney Co. A frequent speaker on the topics of streaming audience measurement and ad technology, Rosso is active in a wide array of broadcasting and digital media industry initiatives, and serves as a member of the board of directors of the RAB.

Paul S. Rotella, Esq., is the president and CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association and an active member of numerous service and broadcast industry organizations. He has served in a host of governmental, business and association leadership positions. After earning his law degree, Rotella began a general legal practice in Hackensack, NJ, specializing in local government and municipal law, transactional real estate, land use, sports and entertainment law, general corporate and securities law. He has provided legal and business consulting services to clients such as Genworth Financial, Burger King, Topia Technologies, the Real Estate Mortgage Network, Coldwell Banker, Mercury National Construction, Cliffside Park Housing Authority, Garfield Board of Education, and the Borough of North Haledon, as well as to several regional, statewide and national service, non-profit, professional, and trade associations. He is recognized as an accomplished entrepreneur, industry advocate, and highly effective mediator. Rotella has concluded several complex, multi-million dollar negotiations in numerous private, regulatory, and governmental forums.

Marci Ryvicker is a managing director, senior equity analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, covering the media sector with specific focus on diversified entertainment, broadcast, outdoor, and cable/satellite. Ryvicker began her career as a certified public accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC. She earned her MBA degree from Harvard Business School and holds a BS in economics with a concentration in accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Ryvicker is a certified public accountant and a CFA charterholder. She is also a member of the CFA Institute, the New York Society of Security Analysts, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Shayna Sharpe is CEO of Regional Reps. She joined as an AE in 2008, and later rose to manager and then vice president of business development. She was named CEO in 2015. Before joining Regional Reps, Sharpe worked with Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) as a media account manager and a training service consultant, providing sales and software training and solutions in both small and large radio markets. Prior to her tenure at Arbitron, Sharpe was the first research director for the six-station Clear Channel cluster in Cleveland. She provided sales, marketing, and programming research for the cluster, as well as outlying markets. Founded in 1956, Regional Reps is the oldest and largest independent radio rep firm in the country.

Jeffrey H. Smulyan is chairman of the board of Emmis Communications. He is the leading advocate of getting FM-enabled wireless devices in smartphones and shepherded the unification of the radio industry behind the installation of the Emmis-created NextRadio application. Emmis owns and operates 18 FM and three AM radio stations in the nation’s largest markets. A former director of the NAB and former chairman of the RAB, Smulyan served as past chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, a consortium of CEOs from central Indiana’s largest corporations. His leadership has been recognized by the American Women in Radio and Television’s Silver Satellite Award, the NAB’s National Radio Award, Radio Ink’s “Radio Executive of the Year,” and American Women in Radio and Television’s Star Award. He has been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Indiana Business Hall of Fame, and the Broadcasters Foundation honored him with its Golden Mike Award in recognition of his charitable efforts. In 2013, Smulyan was named a Giant of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting.

Christine Travaglini is president of Christal Radio and Katz Partnerships. Prior to her appointment as president of Christal Radio in 2008, she served as Senior Vice President and General Sales Manager for Christal, a post she held for five years. In June 2013, Travaglini was also named president of Katz Partnerships. Travaglini began her career with Katz Radio Group as a sales assistant in the Atlanta office, and was the first person to rise from assistant to president within the organization. Radio Ink has named Travaglini one of the Most Influential Women in Radio since 2005.

Jeff Warshaw, founder and CEO of Connoisseur Media, is a lifelong broadcaster. He built his first station while still a student at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1993 Warshaw founded Connoisseur Communications Partners LP, a 39-station group he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258MM. In 2004 he formed Connoisseur Media, which now operates 39 radio station brands and digital assets in 11 markets. Warshaw is respected industrywide for his outspoken candor, and his spirit of innovation and long-held principles of integrity, accountability, and improvement remain core values of the company and guide its team members. Warshaw serves on the boards of the NAB, the RAB, and the Broadcasters Foundation of America and is a member of the Nielsen Advisory Board. He is being admitted into the NJBA Hall of Fame, is a recipient of the Ward L. Quaal Leadership Award, and has been on Radio Ink’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list for the past five years.

Chris Weil is chairman/CEO of Momentum Worldwide and co-chair of Forecast 2018. In his 18 years with Momentum, Weil has led the company to become the world’s first, most-awarded, and largest brand experience agency in the advertising and marketing business. Momentum’s success has been built around one simple yet revolutionary belief: It’s not what brands say, it’s what they do that matters. From 2001-2003, Weil moved to London to serve as regional director for Momentum Europe/Middle East and Africa, leading the European network. Previously, he was president of Momentum New York, where he also led the global American Express account team. Under Weil’s leadership, Momentum has won multiple Agency of the Year honors concurrently across 10 countries and has achieved double-digit growth year-over-year. In 2007 he coined the term “Phygital” — describing in a single word the inseparable physical and digital worlds where all brand experiences lie.